Storm-hit California brings more wind, rain and snow | WGN Radio 720

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Storm-hit California brought more wind, rain and snow on Saturday, raising concerns about flooding, causing power outages and making travel dangerous.

A band of rain accompanied by gusty winds is expected to begin in the north and spread southwards, with more storms expected through early next week, the National Weather Service said.

According to poweroutage.us, more than 68,000 utility customers lost their electricity by midnight.

Flood warnings have been issued for areas north of San Francisco Bay, including Marin, Napa, Sonoma and Mendocino counties.

In the south, warnings were posted in some counties, including San Mateo and Santa Cruz, and the small community of Felton Grove on the San Lorenzo River was ordered to evacuate.

A swollen Salinas River has inundated farmlands in Monterey County and issued flood warnings for the San Joaquin Valley community of Merced in the east.

Smooth roads, snow and whiteout conditions plagued the highway through the Sierra Nevada mountains.

The University of California, Berkeley’s Central Sierra Snow Lab received 21.3 inches (54 cm) of snow in 24 hours Saturday morning, with nearly 10 feet (3 m) of snow cover expected to grow by a few more feet by Monday. Tweeted.

A backcountry avalanche warning has been issued for the central Sierra, including around Lake Tahoe.

A series of atmospheric rivers have brought rain and snow to California since late December, cutting off thousands of power supplies, flooding roads, unleashing debris flows and causing landslides.

At least 19 storm-related deaths have occurred and a 5-year-old boy remains missing after being swept out of his mother’s car by floodwaters in San Luis Obispo County.

At a briefing by state and federal officials on Friday, California Highway Patrol Commissioner Sean Duryea said half of the deaths involved motorists and could have been prevented if drivers had heeded road closure signs. He said that there is

In Santa Barbara County, where a massive debris flow passed through the community of Montecito on January 9, 2018, killing 23 people, residents were told that no new evacuations were expected, but that preparations should be made. rice field.

Montecito and neighboring areas were recently ordered to evacuate last Monday, marking the fifth anniversary of what is locally remembered as the “1/9 debris flow.” However, communities located at the foot of coastal mountains escaped serious damage.

Visiting Montecito on Friday, Gov. Gavin Newsom urged residents to be vigilant and heed warnings from public safety officials.

“I know how tired you are,” Newsom said. “Please stay a little more vigilant until next weekend.”

A dry day is in the forecast for next week in California starting Tuesday.

“The question is will it stay dry until the end of the month,” wrote the San Francisco Bay Area Weather Service.

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AP reporter Janie Har contributed from San Francisco. AP/Report for America writer Sophie Austin contributed from Mother, California.

https://wgnradio.com/news/national/ap-storm-battered-california-gets-more-wind-rain-and-snow/ Storm-hit California brings more wind, rain and snow | WGN Radio 720

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